T helper cell (Th) function was assessed using peripheral blood leukocyte (PBMC) from 47 patients newly diagnosed with Hodgkins disease (HD). The PBL were stimulated in vitro with recall antigens (REC), HLA alloantigens (ALLO) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Four distance patterns of Th responsiveness were detected in the HD patients: patients who responded to all three stimuli; patients who did not respond to REC; patients who responded only to PHA; and patients whose PBMC were refractory to all three stimuli. The more severely immune compromised patients exhibited more severe hematologic parameters of HD. We observed a similar pattern of unresponsiveness in patients with HPV-associated cervical dysplasia, except that all patients responded to PHA. These findings suggest that defects in cell mediated immunity exist in patients with certain types of cancer.